Category: Features
Rachael Beck Trades Ballads For Bloodshed As Mrs White In Cluedo
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Based on the fan-favourite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Cluedo is hitting Australian stages in 2026 in a four-city tour. Rachael Beck is playing Mrs White, and The Scoop sat down for a rapid-fire Q & A chat ahead of opening night in Brisbane. Rachael…
The Scoop 2026 Guide To Australian Musical Theatre
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The New Year has arrived, and it’s time to take down those Christmas decorations and start looking at the year ahead. The Scoop has put together a mammoth 2026 Musical Theatre Show Guide to assist in planning (especially for those who are budgeting for interstate musical trips). Our focus in…
The Scoop Favourite Shows Of 2025 Part Four: Dance
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It’s been one year since The Scoop was created, and the first feature published was my personal list of Favourite Shows of the year. As 2025 comes to a close, we have been looking back at some of the shows that stood out this year. The final instalment includes our favourite Dance shows, including Ballet,…
The Scoop Favourite Shows Of 2025 Part Three: Circus & Festivals
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It’s been one year since The Scoop was created, and the first feature published was my personal list of Favourite Shows of the year. As 2025 comes to a close, we have been looking back at some of the shows that stood out this year. This next instalment is an eclectic mix of our…
The Scoop Favourite Shows Of 2025 Part Two: Plays
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It’s been one year since The Scoop was created, and the first feature published was my personal list of Favourite Shows of the year. As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look back at some of the shows that stood out this year. The Scoop’s team of writers are all…
The Scoop Favourite Shows Of 2025 Part One: Musicals
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It’s been one year since The Scoop was created, and the first feature published was my personal list of Favourite Shows of the year. As 2025 comes to a close, The Scoop is now made up of a beautiful team of writers from around the country. We have a busy…
Stefanie Caccamo Unpacks The Intimacy Of Sondheim’s Putting It Together
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Putting It Together, a dazzling celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest work, arrives in Sydney in the New Year and features some of Australia’s finest performers. Set at a glamorous cocktail party, the cast navigate the complexities of love, ambition and desire. The Scoop chatted with one of the show’s stars,…
How Back To The Future Turned Axel Duffy Into A Leading Man & A True Crowd Favourite
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Back To The Future was one of the most exciting musicals to hit the Australian stage in 2025. It gathered rave reviews after opening in Sydney in October, and has been embraced as one of the most visually spectacular productions to ever hit the stage across the world. Last month…
Government Announces Streaming Services To Invest In Australian Content
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For years, the Australian screen industry has been waiting and waiting for a streaming services legislation that would finally give local stories a fair go. Yesterday, the government announced it’s happening, although without a definitive timetable for debate or implementation. The Albanese government will introduce a law requiring streaming giants…
Raj Labade Brings New Fire To Edmund In Belvoir’s King Lear
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The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear & His Three Daughters comes to Belvoir St Theatre from 15 November, starring Colin Friels and a cast of exciting talent. Raj Labade is playing Edmund, and The Scoop had the chance to sit down and chat ahead of…
Coffee, Cats & Conversation: A Chat With Lucy Maunder
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The first time I saw Lucy Maunder, she was playing Roxie Hart in Chicago, at Crown Theatre Perth. The second time was via Zoom last Thursday morning, in the context of an interview about her role in CATS. Both of us were in morning mode, with our respective offspring somewhere in…
Falling In Love: Samantha Jade & Ben Hall On The Magic Of Pretty Woman
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This weekend, Pretty Woman: The Musical makes its highly anticipated Australian premiere in Brisbane before touring to Sydney. Starring Samantha Jade as Vivian and Ben Hall as Edward, the rom-com that launched Julia Roberts’ career is now a smash hit stage musical. The Scoop had the pleasure of sitting down…
Seasons Of Love: Calista Nelmes Returns As Maureen In RENT
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RENT, the musical that rocked Broadway is back, making its debut this Saturday at Sydney Opera House. Calista Nelmes is reprising her show-stealing, award-winning role as the spirited Maureen. The Scoop had the chance to have a very quick chat with Calista ahead of the season. Calista talks all things…
Love & Pop & Mischief: Loren Hunter Is Hermia In The Lovers
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One of the highlights of this year’s Brisbane Festival is The Lovers, which officially opens tomorrow night at QPAC before heading on tour to Sydney. Loren Hunter plays Hermia, the Perfect Little Princess, in Laura Murphy’s 21st century pop reimagining of Shakespeare’s tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Scoop had…
A.K. Wregg Reimagines Dorothy In Oz With Magic And Cocktails
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The emphasis is on the interactive and unpredictable as we count the minutes before the curtain rises on the 2025 Sydney Fringe Festival extravaganza. First animal off the ark this year is A.K. Wregg’s Dorothy in Oz: An Immersive Cocktail Adventure, which makes its world premiere run from 3…
Greg Page Trades Wiggles For The Whitehouse In Annie
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Annie returns to Brisbane this December off the back of successful seasons in Sydney and Melbourne. The Scoop sat down with Greg Page, the original Yellow Wiggle, who is making his theatre debut playing Franklin D. Roosevelt. Greg talks all things Annie, including what he’s learned about working in musical theatre…
Janet Anderson Steps Into The World Of Woolf’s Orlando
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Belvoir St Theatre is excited to present Carissa Licciardello and Elsie Yager’s joyous adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s most beloved and brilliant novel, Orlando, premiering 30 August. Orlando is a young courtier who journeys through 400 years of history in search of love, identity, and purpose. As the world shifts from Elizabethan courts…
Murray Whispers: A Bold First Step For Adelaide Ballet
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Adelaide Ballet, South Australia’s only professional ballet company, is making their season debut this Friday with the Australian premiere of Murray Whispers – a stunning new work that beautifully blends performance and technology. Choreographed by Co-Founders and Artistic Directors of Adelaide Ballet, Sarah Humeniuk and Rejane Garcia, Murray Whispers draws inspiration from the Murray…
Toby Schmitz On The Strange Beauty Of Belvoir’s Grief
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Belvoir St Theatre is thrilled to present Simon Phillip’s new adaptation of Max Porter’s bestselling novel, Grief is the Thing With Feathers, premiering 26 July. Co-adapted by Phillips, Nick Schlieper and Toby Schmitz, Grief is the Thing With Feathers is an imaginative and poetic take on how a family navigates…
Strange And Unusual: Karis Oka Reflects On Playing Lydia In Beetlejuice
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Beetlejuice the Musical has received rave reviews since making its highly anticipated Australian premiere in Melbourne in May. Karis Oka plays the musical’s star, the strange and unusual Lydia Deetz. The Scoop had the chance to sit down with Karis as the season heads into its final months. Karis talks…
Very Short Film Festival Special Event In Brisbane
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The Very Short Film Festival (VSFF) is bringing bold, inspirational and touching new Australian stories to the big screen in Brisbane for the very first time, with a special event at Five Star Cinemas, New Farm on Thursday 17 July. Audiences will experience the Top 20 Finalist Films from the…
Isaac Drandic on Dear Son: Crafting a Theatrical Love Letter to First Nations Men
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The world premiere of Dear Son opens at Queensland Theatre in Brisbane this Saturday night. An adaptation of Thomas Mayo’s book, Dear Son features powerful letters of love, hope and healing from First Nations fathers and sons. The Scoop had the chance to sit down with Isaac Drandic, who co-adapted the…
Memory And Meaning: Gabriyel Thomas Steps Into The Spotlight In Cats
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The 40th anniversary Australian tour of CATS the Musical officially opens in Sydney tomorrow night. The Scoop had the chance to sit down at the Media Call today with Gabriyel Thomas. Gabriyel is playing Grizabella, and sings the iconic song Memory. She talked to us all things CATS, including what she loves most…
INXS Reimagined Roars Back To Crown Perth With Orchestral Fire
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Their music is woven into Perth’s cultural DNA, but Perth Symphony Orchestra is transforming the hits of INXS into a symphonic spectacle: INXS Reimagined. And it’s fresh, fearless, and unforgettable. Following a sell-out season in 2023, Perth Symphony Orchestra is back and more masterful than ever. With a history of…
Courtney Radford Steps Into The Spotlight in Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Illume
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Bangarra Dance Theatre will present the world premiere of their first-ever visual arts collaboration, Ilume, with performances at the Sydney Opera House commencing next week. Illume is an exciting new presentation from Mirning woman and Bangarra Artistic Director, Frances Rings, and Goolarrgon Bard visual artist, Darrell Sibosado. Following a season in…
When Glenn Met Georgie: Sparks To Fly Again in Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica
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Next week, Queensland Theatre opens David Williamson’s rom-com Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica. The two-hander play stars Georgie Parker and Glenn Hazeldine who originated the roles together 15 years ago. After a reprisal in Sydney in 2023, they are back for a Brisbane premiere season. Georgie Parker plays Monica, an…
And Then There Was Mia: Taking the Lead in Christie’s Iconic Mystery
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Agatha Christie’s thriller And Then There Were None opened in Sydney last week, after a highly successful debut in Melbourne earlier in the year. Mia Morrissey plays Vera Claythorne in this all new adaptation. The Scoop had the chance to sit down with Mia amid the tour. Mia talks all…
Dusting Off A Classic: Amy Lehpamer Returns To Play An Icon
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Next month Amy Lehpamer hits the stage in Dusty The Musical – In Concert exclusively to Brisbane at the Concert Hall, QPAC. As one of Australia’s most celebrated musical theatre performers, Amy will bring the iconic 60s soul singer Dusty Springfield back to life. This comes after her Helpmann Award nominated…
To Laugh Or Not Laugh? The Complete Wit Of Amy Ingram
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Next week, an all-new Australian production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will premiere at QPAC. The Scoop had the chance to sit down with Amy Ingram, taking on many of the Bard’s iconic roles as part of a cast of three. Amy talks all things Shakespeare, including the joys of…
Owen Hasluck Dives Into The Depths With Blue
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This month, Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA will present the West Australian premiere of Blue by Thomas Weatherall. The Scoop had the chance to sit down with Owen Hasluck, who will be making his Black Swan debut in the role of Mark. A 2023 NIDA graduate, Owen also completed…
